D&D 5E What is +1 Strength worth?

[Cap'n Kobold]

its worse still because there is nothing about Strength that says "Can hit more accurately" by any common understanding

It makes sense in the sense that D&D uses it, in fights against other creatures.
Strength is, at base, the capacity to exert force. When using a weapon, that translates to greater speed of striking (giving an opponent less chancer to react) and more control (allowing changes of direction and such more rapidly). That does mean that you are able to strike an opponent better, even before you start getting into D&D's AC system where you may need to strike through tough hide to "hit".

Yep. An active feature which allows you to be extra killy when you need it and/or when you're in optimal position is in practice much better than a passive boost that makes you always a bit better whether you need it or not.

Yep. This is why Battlemasters and Paladins (and other spellcasters) are often more effective than Champions. Over the course of a long adventuring day, the extra crit chance of the champion may mean that they technically deal more overall damage, but the ability to dump resources when and where you really need them is more valuable.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

It makes sense in the sense that D&D uses it, in fights against other creatures.
Strength is, at base, the capacity to exert force. When using a weapon, that translates to greater speed of striking (giving an opponent less chancer to react) and more control (allowing changes of direction and such more rapidly). That does mean that you are able to strike an opponent better, even before you start getting into D&D's AC system where you may need to strike through tough hide to "hit".

sorry but no. It doesn't matter how strong you are skill and speed are WAY more impotent to accuracy then strength

 

[Maxperson]

sorry but no. It doesn't matter how strong you are skill and speed are WAY more impotent to accuracy then strength

The +1 to hit from strength does not represent accuracy. It represents the ability to force my weapon through your armor, or be more likely to bang you around inside of that plate you are wearing. You're more likely to "hit" and cause damage due to that strength.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

The +1 to hit from strength does not represent accuracy. It represents the ability to force my weapon through your armor, or be more likely to bang you around inside of that plate you are wearing. You're more likely to "hit" and cause damage due to that strength.

still nope... there is no version of stronger=more likely to hit outside of game mechanic.

 

[Maxperson]

still nope... there is no version of stronger=more likely to hit outside of game mechanic.

What do you mean by that?

 

[Crimson Longinus]

still nope... there is no version of stronger=more likely to hit outside of game mechanic.

As D&D merges armour and dodge in one stat, strength improving armour penetration and thus the hit chance makes sense. Why it would help against an agilely dodging unarmoured monk is a mystery though…

 

[GMforPowergamers]

What do you mean by that?

i mean if person a is faster and more agile and person b is stronger but both are wqually well trained no one in the real world would assume the stronger one will hit the more agile one more often.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

As D&D merges armour and dodge in one stat, strength improving armour penetration and thus the hit chance makes sense. Why it would help against an agilely dodging unarmoured monk is a mystery though…

i mean it's just a game... it doesn't need to make sense. I am just saying that you can easily disconnect all 6 stats from attack rolls and it would not be any worse off.

 

[billd91]

As D&D merges armour and dodge in one stat, strength improving armour penetration and thus the hit chance makes sense. Why it would help against an agilely dodging unarmoured monk is a mystery though…

Powering through a block. I wouldn't assume a monk's AC is all dodge and no block.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

sorry but no. It doesn't matter how strong you are skill and speed are WAY more impotent to accuracy then strength

I was responding to someone who was talking about whether strength grants the ability to hit more accurately. Skill wasn't mentioned at all.
And as I touched upon, Strength, particularly 5e's definition which includes athleticism, grants speed to the weapon.

The easiest way of judging how strength affects melee combat is probably to measure your ability to get hits on an opponent in a spar while using a lightweight, and while using a heavy version of the same weapon. This is reasonably close to representing a comparison between someone with higher strength, to whom the weapon will feel lighter and more manoeuvrable, with someone of lower strength, to whom the same weapon will feel heavier.